The subject invention relates to fasteners of the type comprising an anchor fastener and an anchor bolt. In use, the anchor fastener is embedded in an object, such as a plaster wall, and the anchor bolt, which is threadedly received within the anchor fastener, is used first to expand the inner end of the anchor fastener within the object to prevent its later removal and then to mount a second object to the first object. Such fasteners are also referred to as "expansion bolts".
While many millions of such fasteners are used annually, they are not without their drawbacks. One particularly apparent drawback, to the solution of which the subject invention is directed, is that the anchor fastener remains embedded in the object after the fastener is no longer needed. Since the outer surfaces of the anchor fasteners are unsightly when no longer in use, they are normally either removed or concealed when no longer needed. This operation can become a significant expense, particularly when an apartment has been vacated and is being renovated for a new occupant.
The method used at present to conceal anchor fasteners in walls after they have served their useful purpose is as follows:
(1) the head of the fastener is driven below the surface of the wall by hammer blows, great care being taken not to drive the fastener clear through the wall; PA1 (2) a first application of spackling plaster is pressed into the rather large recess thus produced and allowed to remain slightly higher than the surrounding surface; PA1 (3) after the first application of spackling plaster has fried, leaving a depression in the center due to shrinkage of the plaster during drying, a second application of spackling plaster is pressed into the depression; and PA1 (4) after the second application of spackling plaster has dried, the area is sanded smooth and to the level of the surrounding wall.
Obviously, the operation described above is inconvenient for the home owner and expensive for the apartment owner because of the need to allow time (usually a full day) for the drying of at least the first application of spackling plaster and because of the extensive sanding involved.